| Questions and Answers for SJSU Staff and Boosters
2002
Q.Who Is A Prospect?
A. A prospect is a student in the ninth grade and above, including students in prep schools, junior colleges, and individuals who have officially withdrawn from four-year schools. In addition, a student who has not yet started ninth grade may become a prospect if SJSU or a booster provides the student, or the student's relatives or friends, with financial assistance or benefits not generally provided to other students.
Q.What Is Recruiting?
A. Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or the prospect's parent/legal guardian by an SJSU staff member for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment at SJSU and/or participation in SJSU's athletics program.
Recruiting activities include correspondence, e-mail, faxes, telephone conversations and in-person contacts (both on and off campus).
Q.Who May Recruit?
A. Only coaches and Athletic Department staff may be involved in the recruiting process. The NCAA rules specifically prohibit boosters from engaging in recruiting activities. Boosters may not have any contact (i.e., in-person encounter, telephone call, correspondence) with a prospect or the prospect's family, on or off campus.
Boosters may not contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor for the purpose of evaluating a prospect's athletic ability or academic record.
Boosters may not talk to a student-athlete at another institution for the purpose of encouraging him or her to transfer to SJSU.
Q.What/Who Is A Representative Of San Jose State University's Athletics Interests?
A. A "representative of San Jose State University's athletics interests" (a.k.a. "booster") is an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of San Jose State University's executive or athletics administration to:
- Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting San Jose State University's intercollegiate athletics program;
- Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization at San Jose State University;
- Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects;
- Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
- Have been involved otherwise in promoting San Jose State University's athletics program.
Once an individual, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization is identified as a rep/booster, the person, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization retains that identity indefinitely. Boosters are prohibited from making in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts, or written or telephonic communications with a prospect or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians.
Q.When Can A Coach And/Or Staff Member Call A Prospect?
A. Telephone calls shall not be made with a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] before July 1 (September 1 in football) following the prospect's completion of the junior year in high school. Football may make one telephone call during the month of May of the prospect's junior year in high school. Basketball may make one telephone call on or after June 21 of the prospect's junior year in high school and then only three telephone calls may be made during the month of July, with no more than one call per week. In all sports, San Jose State University staff members may make telephone calls to a prospect; however, in football, all telephone calls must be made by the head coach or one or more of the full-time assistant coaches or a grad assistant, provided he or she has successfully completed the coaches certification exam.
Q.How Often Can A Coach And/Or Staff Member Call A Prospect?
A. Telephone calls are generally only allowed once per week per institution (that is why keeping a current and accurate log is necessary, as well as coordinating calls between staff members). The exceptions include unlimited calls the five days immediately preceding an official visit, on the initial date for the signing of the National Letter of Intent and during the two days following the initial signing date (football gets unlimited calls during the period 48 hours before and 48 hours after 7 a.m. on the initial date for the NLI), on the day a coach makes a permissible in-person, off-campus contact, and subsequent to the prospect signing an NLI with San Jose State University.
Q.What Happens If A Prospect Calls A Coach And He Or She Is Not In?
A.The best thing for the secretary, administrative assistant or assistant coach to do is to take a message, find out exactly what year in school the prospect is, get an email address if possible, and explain to the prospect that the coach may only call him or her back IF the coach has not already made his or her one countable call for the week (returning a call IS a countable call!).
Q.What Is Considered A Telephone Call?
A. Facsimiles and other electronically transmitted correspondence are NOT considered telephone calls. Prearranged electronically transmitted correspondence (i.e., the time and method for such correspondence has been designated in advance) between an authorized staff member and one or more prospects and any electronic correspondence sent by "instant messenger" or similar means shall be considered a telephone call. The use of a pager to contact a prospect is considered a telephone call. If a pager permits a text message to be displayed, an San Jose State University staff member who leaves a message in excess of a greeting is considered to have made a telephone contact
Q.What Should I Do If A Student-Athlete Calls From Another School And Wants The Coach To Call Him Or Her Back?
A. Our coaches can contact a prospective transfer from a two-year college, as long as he or she is a qualifier out of high school or, in the case of a non-qualifier, in his second year of school at a two-year college. Before a coach can contact a transfer from a four-year college, we need written permission from the athletics director at the first institution.
Q.When Can I Send Printed Recruiting Materials?
A. We may not provide recruiting materials to a prospect (including general correspondence related to athletics) until September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school. We are permitted to provide only the printed materials listed below to prospects, coaches of prospects or any other individual responsible for teaching or directing an activity in which a prospect is involved. We are not permitted to provide prospects with any recruiting materials not listed below (e.g., films, videotapes, original newspaper clippings). - Correspondence. General correspondence, including letters and postcards issued by the U.S. postal service (i.e., blank cards) and institutional note cards may be sent to a prospect only by mail. Attachments to general correspondence may include materials printed on plain white paper with black ink. In football, the content of all general recruiting correspondence to prospects (or prospects' parents or legal guardians) must be prepared by the head coach or one of the full-time assistant coaches. It is not permissible for San Jose State University University's chief executive officer or director of athletics to prepare general correspondence to football prospects.
- Business Cards. Business cards may be provided to a prospect.
- Camp Brochures. Camp brochures may be provided to a prospect. Information contained in camp brochures must relate specifically to camp events and activities (as opposed to information that may not be provided to prospects). (Note: These brochures may be provided to a prospect prior to September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school.)
- Electronic Transmissions. Facsimiles and electronic mail may be sent to a prospect. Color attachments may be included with electronic mail correspondence sent to a prospect. Prearranged electronically transmitted correspondence between an authorized institutional staff member and one or more prospects and any electronic correspondence sent by "instant messenger" or similar means shall be considered a telephone call.
- NCAA Educational Information. An institution may provide educational information published by the NCAA (e.g., NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete). (Note: This information may be provided to a prospect prior to September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school.)
- Pre-enrollment Information. Any necessary pre-enrollment information regarding orientation, conditioning, academics and practice activities may be sent to a prospect, provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or has been officially accepted for enrollment by the member institution.
- Programs. Game programs (which may not include posters) may be provided to prospects only during official and unofficial recruiting visits and may not be mailed.
- Publications (Athletics). An institution may produce either a recruiting brochure or media guide (but not both) in each sport it sponsors and provide it to a prospect. The publication may have only one color of printing inside the covers.
- Publications (Nonathletics). Available to All Students. Official academic, admissions and student-services publications published by the institution and available to all students may be provided to prospects.
- Questionnaires. Questionnaires may be provided to a prospect. (Note: These questionnaires may be provided to a prospect prior to September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school.)
- Schedule Cards. One wallet-size playing schedule card per sport.
- Student-Athlete Handbook. One student-athlete handbook, describing the institution's athletics department policies governing the conduct of student-athletes, may be provided to a prospect during official and unofficial recruiting visits or may be mailed once the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or has been accepted for enrollment by the member institution. The handbook may contain only one color of printing throughout the publication, including the cover.
Q.What Can We Do If A Coach Gets A Letter From A Prospect Who Is Not Yet A Junior?
A. San Jose State University staff members (including athletics staff members) may respond to a prospect's letter requesting information from our athletics department prior to September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school, provided the written response does not include information that would initiate the recruitment of the prospect or information related to San Jose State University's athletics program (e.g., the reply contains an explanation of current NCAA legislation or a referral to the admissions department).
Q.What Are The Limits On Visits A Prospect Can Take To Our Campus?
A. There are no limits on unofficial visits, except they cannot occur during a sport's dead period (no in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contact can occur during a dead period). Each prospect is allowed five expense-paid visits during his or her senior year (beginning with the opening day of classes of the prospect's senior year in high school), but only one expense-paid visit to our campus.
Q.What Is An Extra Benefit?
A. An extra benefit is any special arrangement to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relatives or friends with a benefit not authorized by the NCAA rules. The NCAA allows SJSU to provide student-athletes with scholarships to cover tuition, fees, room, board and books. We can also provide complimentary admissions to SJSU athletic events, practice or competition-related apparel, equipment and medical treatment. It is a violation of NCAA rules for a student-athlete to receive any other benefit UNLESS the same benefit is normally available to all SJSU students or their parents/guardians.
Examples Of Extra Benefits A Coach, Staff Member Or Booster CANNOT Provide To A Student-Athlete Or Use As An Offer Or Inducement For A Prospective Student-Athlete:
- Cash or gifts.
- The use of personal property (e.g., boats, summer houses/condos, automobiles, SUVs).
- A special discount arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline tickets, clothing, shoes).
- Arranging, providing or co-signing a loan.
- Providing any kind of transportation or the use of a car.
- Gifts of food, clothing or equipment.
- Arranging or providing free or reduced cost professional services (e.g., free dental or medical services, haircuts, automotive services, laundry, dry cleaning).
- The use of a telephone or telephone credit card for free long distance calls.
- Entertainment or the purchase of meals or services at commercial establishments.
- An invitation to play on your country club's golf course or to eat a meal there.
- A benefit connected with off-campus housing (e.g., television sets, electronic equipment, room furnishings, specialized recreational facilities).
- Room, board, or transportation costs (including a stay in your home or transportation to or from a job).
- Typing or incurring other costs associated with school projects, reports, or resumes.
- Financial rewards for athletic performance.
- An honorarSJSUm or fee for a speaking engagement or other appearance.
- A guarantee of a bond.
- Giving tickets to a student-athlete to an SJSU or community athletic event (e.g., state high school basketball tournament tickets; high school games, collegiate, professional or any sporting event).
- A benefit derived by a student-athlete who sells complimentary tickets to an SJSU event.
- Arranging or providing free or reduced cost housing.
- Arranging or providing employment for a student-athlete's parents, guardians or friends.
Q.What Can I Do For Our Student-Athletes?
A. Not much! The rules do allow staff to provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes on an occasional basis. Also, a student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional family home meal from an San Jose State University staff member or booster under the following conditions:
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